Green All 'Round
by Hills-to-Sky
Summary: Back at Horseland Three years later after some renovations! Come join the crew! Old and New! Will contain OC's, Swearing (minor) and gore. No Pairings yet
1. Chapter 1: Back once Again

Chapter One: Back Once Again!  
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The early morning sun washed over the famous riding school that sat comfortably in the wide valley. An early summer breeze danced its way inside the faded blue barn as the doors were heaved open to welcome the morning light.

The ancient yet sturdy barn creaked from the movement and the hinges squeaked. The attic doors had already been opened and a small shower of straw, hay, dust and feathers floated downwards as a flock of pigeons and doves flew out, startled by the noise.

They flapped out noisily and swooped low over the clean arena, weaving over the clean array of jumps set up and out into the woodland beyond.

A tan teenage boy stood wiping the dust off his jeans and blue top as he took in the scenic views that made Horseland so memorable.

Fresh green hills swept upwards into sharp, challenging smoky gray mountain tops, the edges fringed with forest. The density ranging from impassable to scattered and the wildlife from troublesome to sweet.

The children of the surrounding mountain range, soft rolling meadows that surrounded the school, shimmered and glittered as the long green grass danced in the breeze.

The light on the leaves made the grass turn into a huge, rippling, green ocean, broken up into segments with rustic wooden fences.

Bailey rested his hands on his hips and took in a deep breath of fresh straw, warm manure and the crisp, sweet bite of summer morning air.

"Man, I'll be glad for this place to finally re-open!" He exclaimed to no-one in particular yet his voice woke the faithful Collie that was asleep in the morning sun.

Shep opened an eye and stretched the sleep out of his joints, growling in pleasure as the sun warmed his thick coat. Standing up, he shook off the dust and padded around to where Bailey was standing.

Bailey spotted Shep coming, climbed up and sat down on the wooden training arena fence.

"I hope I can see the girls again, aye Shep?" Bailey reached down and stroked the old dogs head.

It had been three years since Bailey had seen his Horseland friends. The last memory he remembered of them was all of them celebrating Almas' thirteenth birthday. All of the group had been there.

He wondered if they'd come back.

"I've missed them and their horses while Horseland got renovated! Sure the new dorms are sweet and all but what's the fun if you have no-one to go riding with? At this rate, I'd even prefer to go with Chloe or Zoey and their bad-tempered rides. "

Shep barked in agreement as Bailey looked out over the mountains, sighing wistfully.

The dog, too, had also been lonely. Angora and Teeny were good fun but even that got tiresome.  
Shep had missed Scarlet and the others.

And he wasn't the only one.

Angora had missed the drama that the group had caused, that she went out and made her own.

She had caused poor Shep and Teeny strife as she went around leaving a trail of foul tricks and attitude wherever she went.

Bailey on the other hand, had been kept extremely busy.

He had been busy cleaning out the new and old stables that had been added along with the rest of the expansion over the course of three years.

It had been a lone job for him and he'd been up since three working his butt off. But now it was all done.

The hardened dirt floor had been replaced with cobblestones and there were now an extra twenty stables for all the new riders lodging their horses.

Bailey still hadn't gotten his head around the new system his parents had put in place, but at least it was guaranteed to help Horseland in the long run.

Allowing riders and horses lodging for up to two years along with equestrian event tutoring and the opportunity to learn life and farm skills.

The old farmhouse had been upgraded to suit the new offer.

It now had a huge dormitory stuck on one side and the lunch room was now a proper mess hall.

Bailey still had his own private room, but with the new added super-fast WiFi and more big hot water cylinders added he was living a perfect dream.

However, the dormitory wasn't split in half. That had cost too much to build.

So each room had two bunk beds allowing four people per room. Guys could bunk with girls provided things stayed casual.

NO Mature acts.

Bailey wasn't too happy with his parent's leniency but he guessed he'd be fine. After all, he still did have his own room.

Part of him didn't want to share all this with the new riders but the other part knew he wanted company.

So he simply settled down on the arena fence and waited, wrinkling his nose at the smell of polish emanating from his hands.

"Last time I polish all those saddles by myself..." He muttered to Shep, who nodded his head wisely.

He sighed and watched the trees sway as he waited for the new guests to start arriving.

* * *

Will was the first to arrive in his old dusty Ute and towing his classic horse float behind him.

Bailey jumped off the fence as soon as he heard the vehicle come round the corner and his face broke into a smile as Horselands famous trainer drove up the driveway.

Bailey ran alongside the Ute waving madly with Shep bounding along beside him.

As the Ute pulled to a stop, Angora and Teeny poked their heads out from behind the open barn door.

"Well, well. Look whose back!" Angora purred, unable to hide her glee.

Teeny instantly broke into a bout of happy bouncing, nearly trampling Angora.

"Will's back! Will's Back! Oh I've never been happier! Look Angora! Will's back!" Teeny froze in mid bounce as realization slowly spread across her face.

She gasped "That must mean the others are coming too! Oh we'll all be one big happy family!"

Teeny was beside herself with joy and she raced out to meet Will who was getting Jimber out of his trailer.

The blonde man looked down at the pig and reached down to pat her, "Hey there Teeny! It's nice to see you're still here!"

Jimber nickered, "Heya Teeny! It's good to be back at Horseland! Good ta see ya!"

Teeny bounced up and down excitedly, the bow on her tail flopping with each bounce, "I know! I know!"

Bailey was unloading Wills' bags onto the quad bike trailer; another investment for Horseland; and had started it up.

"Hey Cuz! I'll take your bags to the dorm up by the farmhouse. Since you're older than the rest you get your own private room. I'll leave them in the foyer so you can choose your room when you're done." Bailey yelled over the bikes roar.

Will gave the thumbs up to show he heard before leading Jimber into the stables.

He gave a whistle of admiration at the expanded barn, "Welcome back Jimber. It's good to be back, ain't it?"

Jimber nickered happily and obediently walked into his old stable, glad to see the star was still emblazoned on the door.

As Will wandered off to check the place out, Jimber greeted his old friend, Aztec.

"Aztec, me' boy! How are ya?" He asked out his stall door.

Aztec eagerly poked his head out and his face broke into a smile as he saw his old friend, "Jimber? Is that you! Oh boy! I must be seeing things! You would not believe how bored I've been!"

Jimber laughed and shook his mane, "Nope. It's me. Good ole' Jimber! Wills back to and I hear the others are coming back as well. The whole gang will be back together in no time!"

Aztec pranced in his cell, "Brilliant! Finally I can get rid of this boredom! So how have you been lately? Me? Bored as a rock."

As the two stallions caught up, Will walked down the new addition to the barn; a building that had been added onto where the tack room had been.

Instead of a small room filled with shelves and pegs it was now a large corridor that ended in a pair of newly painted red double-doors.

Each side of the corridor was home to ten new stables for the expected horses, all mucked out with fresh hay, straw and water.

"Well, Bailey and his folks have certainly outdone themselves this time." Will stood back, hands on hips and very impressed.

The sound of the quad bike returning caused him to start on his way back out but he picked up his pace when he heard the growl of the bike to be drowned out by the sound of cars tires crunching up the gravel path.

He self-consciously wiped the dust that had settled on his shoulders off, tugged on his belt and walked out to meet old and new arrivals.

Bailey parked the bike and leapt off as the two limos towing horse floats rolled up the dusty driveway in a single file line.

One black, one white, Bailey broke into a smile as he recognized the occupants.

Both the limousines pulled up in front of the barn and two pairs of doors opened up.

Out of the white limo came the Stilton Sisters: Chloe and Zoey.

Both dressed in the latest fashions. Zoey displayed a light cotton turquoise shirt with breast pockets and upturned sleeves over a pair of short denim shorts while Chloe had her lavender hairband in and had a thin lavender summer dress to match.

Both wore black ballet flats, utterly useless for the current environment.

"You know what, sis? I almost missed this place." Zoey said, tossing her wavy orange hair over her shoulder.

Chloe examined her perfectly manicured nails, "For once I agree with you sis. And I bet Chili and Pepper did too."

Both girls looked up as Bailey ran over.

"Chloe! Zoey! Man it's great to see you two!"

The twins smiled, "Hey Bailey." They replied in unison.

"Could you guys put Chili and Pepper in their stables while I gather your bags?" Bailey grinned sheepishly.

The sisters looked taken aback, "We only just get here and you already expect us to do work?" Chloe exclaimed in horror.

Zoey whimpered, "But I might get dust and horse hair on me new clothes!"

Bailey just sighed and rubbed his head, "Worth a shot…" he muttered before grabbing the girls' unrealistic amount of luggage and piling it up on the bike trailer.

While Bailey dealt with the Stiltons, Will went out and greeted the black limos occupants.

"Sarah! Molly!" Will greeted them with open arms as the blonde and the jester stepped out of the car.

Sarah was wearing a scarlet cotton shirt with no sleeves that exposed her flat stomach with a pair of pale blue skinny jeans, torn at the knees.

Molly had a pink sleeveless turtle neck on and knee long black shorts with her thick black hair up in a bun. Slim black boots and tacky sneakers hit the dusty ground as they got out.

"Will! It's great to see you again!" Sarah gave him a fleeting hug before stepping back and taking a deep breath of country air. "It's great to be back! Scarlet and I missed Horseland!"

An agreeing neigh rang from the big float attached to the limo.

Sarah laughed, "Speaking of which…" she ran off to the float and pressed the button to lower the door.

"Missed your jokes Molly!" Will rested a hand on the African-Americans shoulder.

Molly grinned, "Really? Thanks Will! Its great seeing you again but I have to go see Calypso!"

Will watched as Molly ran off to where Sarah was leading Scarlet out to her stall.

Molly and Sarah followed Bailey inside the new barn as he put Chili and Pepper in their stalls.

"Hey Bailey!" The two girls greeted their friend as he bolted Chili's door.

"Hey Sarah! Hey Molly! Man, I am glad to see you two again. You would not believe how busy and bored I've been!" Bailey wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.

Molly just laughed as she led Calypso inside the fresh new stall, "You're only glad we're back so you don't have to do all the work!"

The three just laughed as their horses settled into their stalls.

"C'mon! I'll show you too your dorms!" Bailey ran outside with the two girls following as Will finished unloading Molly and Sarah's bags.

"Thanks Will! Sarah was nice enough to give me and Calypso a lift!" Molly grinned as she stacked her suitcase on the quad bike trailer.

Bailey patted the seat behind him, "Anyone coming up to the dorms?"

The girls and Will shook their heads.

"Sorry Bailey but I'd like to wait for Nina and Alma." Sarah shrugged apologetically and Molly nodded.

The twins were a different story.

"Ugh, I guess. Might as well get the shock over with." Zoey shrugged and walked towards the bike, taking a seat.

"At least we get first pickings." Chloe pointed out and took a seat on the other side.

Bailey sped off with the girls and the trailer full of luggage while the limos disappeared down the dusty driveway.

"I couldn't care less if I got stuck in a stinky, scummy bunk bed or room. I'm just glad to be back at Horseland!" Molly exclaimed watching the retreating bike.

Sarah and Will nodded their approval.

Will turned to Sarah and Molly, "You two certainly have grown from the last time I saw you. You were thirteen then! How old are you now?"

Sarah and Molly grinned.

"Sweet sixteen!" Molly punched the air

Sarah laughed, "Seventeen here. My birthday was last month."

Will clapped his hands, "Up in teenage years and still into horses? Well done!"

Molly gave Will a stern look, "That's rich coming from you. How old are you? 50? 60?" She poked her tongue out at him.

Will simply laughed. He was glad to be with these two again, "Actually, I'm 21. And an official Equestrian Event tutor and horse trainer."

He puffed his chest out proudly.

Sarah clasped her hands together, "That's so cool Will! Congrats!"

"Not as cool as that!" Molly was jumping up and down and pointing out at the driveway.

A small town car was rolling up the driveway, towing a black, white and green horse float.

"Alma!" Sarah yelled in joy.

Behind the first car was a jeep that was pulling a yellow and blue float.

Molly leapt up and punched the air, "Nani!"

The two cars pulled up and Alma and Nani stepped out and embraced their friends.

Sarah hugged Alma before Molly dragged Nani into the group hug.

All four of the girls laughed in joy and traded 'I missed you's and 'How are you?'s.

Will had already led Sunburst and Button out of the floats but let Alma and Nani take them away as the four girls chatted and gossiped with one another.

Will grabbed the girls' luggage and heaved it over to the wooden fence just as Bailey arrived with an empty trailer and no Stiltons.

As the boys loaded up the luggage, Sunburst and Button were led into their fresh, clean stalls.

"Bye Button, I'll catch you later, Chica!" Alma hugged her horses black and white neck.

"Be good Calypso! The others and I are going to check out the new Horseland!" Molly stroked Calypsos brown and white muzzle while she nickered happily.

Sarah softly stroked her Arabian mare, "I'll leave you to your friends, hmm Scarlett? Love you!"

Nani and Sunburst hugged each other before Nani joined the other girls as they left the barn, "Bye Sunburst!" She called after her.

"Bye Nani!" The horse neighed after his rider.

"Ugh, are you guys done with your sappy goodbyes?" A grumpy Pepper poked her head out of her stall.

"I'd say. There's no dignity in such manners." Chili stuck his head up high and scoffed.

Scarlet rolled her eyes, "Great to see you two again." She said sarcastically.

"Well at least they haven't changed." Button commented and Calypso nodded.

Aztec just shifted restlessly, "I don't care! It's great to have you all back!"

The stallion pranced and his stall, kicking up straw and splashing water everywhere as a stray hoof caught his trough.

"Ah!" He yelled in surprise, skittering backwards much to the amusement of the other horses, who broke into laughs.

"Seems like Aztecs so bored he's taken up swimming!" Jimber slyly remarked, causing a fresh wave of giggles.

As the horses shared their tales from the past three years, the girls were checking out the accommodation they'd be staying in for two whole years.

"I can't believe we're staying at Horseland for two whole years!" Molly exclaimed as she wandered down the dormitory halls and to their allocated room, "It's like a dream come true!"

Sarah nodded wisely, "I know, right? We'll be able to live right by our horses! And you guys too!"

Nani stopped in front of a door with a quarter-split crest painted on it.

"I think this is ours, look!" She pointed at the symbols on the painted shield: A Pink Heart and a Green Four-leafed clover were at the top and a yellow sun and a red crown were at the bottom.

"Hey! Those are our symbols for our tack!" Molly exclaimed.

"And our horses." Alma had looked up from the book she was reading.

Nani unlocked and opened the door and the four girls let out a squeal of delight as they saw their room.

A bunk bed either side of the room allowed four beds in total and the girls rushed to their beds.

"Oh cool!" Alma exclaimed as she pointed to the top right bed, which had little green four-leaved clovers painted around the outside.

Clambering up, she found a little bookshelf built into the wall and a small inset space in the wall above her headboard.

A small place where she could keep a lamp and other little knickknacks, "This is perfect for all my books!"

On the opposite side, Molly had the same.

"Look Sarah! Alma and I get the top bunks!" Molly cried in joy.

Sarah laughed and flopped down on her bed underneath Almas, "This is awesome! I don't think I'd ever miss home while I'm here!"

Nani tested the bounce of her mattress, "This is going to be so much fun! And you know what? That crest on the door showed our chosen beds! Looks like we're a group!"

Sarah grinned, "You're right, Nani! I mean, look! The symbols on the crest match the ones painted around our beds and our horses' stable doors!"

Molly rolled her eyes and peered over the side of her bed, "Can you two stop being so logical and throw up my bags?"

Sarah giggled and passed Molly's bags up to her before unpacking herself.

She set down a small picture frame of her and her parents and her and Scarlett on the small and simple bedside table.

Nani hung a blue and yellow dream-catcher on the window at the end of the room while Alma pinned up her ribbons and shelved her books.

Molly crammed her shelf full of stuffed animals and posted pictures of her and Calypso over the wall.

Sarah looked at the other three, "It's looking very homely in here!" She laughed.

"Huh, I was wondering when you lot would turn up."

Sarah whirled around to face the door and found the Stilton Twins leaning in the doorway.

"Yeah, me too Zoey." Chloe regarded the room with distaste.

Sarah grinned at the pair, "Hey Zoey! Hey Chloe! Isn't this place great?"

Zoey shuddered in her blue T-shirt, "Ew, no. This place is terrible!"

Chloe nodded solemnly, "Yeah. No jacuzzi. No king sized beds and no scenic views of luxurious beaches!"

"Or heated pools or fancy five-star buffets or wide screen T.V!"

"Or butlers and servants!"

"Or anything we clearly deserve and need to live in luxury!"

Alma scoffed, "Oh please, this place is great! At least be glad you have a bed and a roof over your head. Plus three meals a day."

Zoey shuddered and recoiled and Chloe flipped her hair, "Ugh. You wouldn't understand the needs for upper-class people like us. C'mon sis."

With that, the pair left for their room.

Sarah watched them go before turning to unpack her clothes and put them in the provided wardrobe, "Three years and they still haven't changed." She sighed.

Molly shrugged, "Well, I guess it wouldn't be Horseland without 'em."

A polite knock on the door and the girls turned and faced Will, who was dressed in his trademark black T-shirt and baggy blue jeans.

"Hey girls. This is a copy of the daily roster. It'll be put in place tomorrow when all the new arrivals turn up. You guys aren't the only ones this year so you better welcome the new members!" He handed out slips of paper to all the girls before waving goodbye and leaving.

The four girls looked at each other.

"New members?" Alma looked confused.

"New riders I guess." Sarah shrugged.

"I wonder if they're here already" Nani asked, poring over the sheet.

Molly shrugged, "I just want to unpack then go see Calypso. Oh look, we're on laundry for the first week!"

Alma made a face, "And Zoey and Chloe are on cooking. Better start saving up rations because I doubt those two are going to do ANY cooking."

Sarah folded the paper up and tucked it in her shirt pocket, "C'mon guys. Let's go meet the new riders and their horses!"

Amelia sighed as she watched the trees whip past as she traveled up the gravel road to the riding school known as Horseland.

She twirled a blonde lock around her finger and craned her neck to see if they had arrived.

She could hear barking coming from outside, half muted by the glass and the tires crunching up gravel.

She was suddenly thrown forward as the car stopped. She cautiously opened the door to find the place in chaos.

Numerous riders were unloading horses, tack and luggage.

Amelia watched as a tall blonde man walk past, leading three horses into the barn.

"Might as well unload here, hmm Rosie?" She asked her Golden Australian Collie with a pink bandana who was sniffing around a wooden fence.

Rolling her eyes but smiling, she unloaded her bags onto the ground near the fence.

Going to the back of her horse trailer, she lowered the back to allow her beautiful horse to exit.

"Come on, Fleur!" She coaxed her chimera horse.

Fleur slowly stepped out, looking around cautiously before freezing and refusing to budge.

"Fleur?" Amelia asked before turning around.

A brown haired boy was gathering her bags.

"Don't worry! I'll just chuck 'em with the others!" He called cheerily before walking off towards a bike trailer stacked with luggage.

Amelia smiled before turning back to Fleur, "It's fine, Fleur. No-one will steal you here." She walked up and stroked her beloved horses' nose.

Her poor Fleur bad been a prime target for horse rustlers due to her rare coat.

A genetic defect had caused the genotype for her coat to be a twin pair. One homozygous genotype for her white side and a heterozygous genotype for her brown side.

This defect resulted in a split coat and personality and a huge price on her head.

With sea-green eyes and a wavy mane and tail that is streaked with black and white with light blue highlights, Fleur was a real gift.

While Amelia was coaxing her horse out, another girl was leading her horse to her stable.

"Here's a nice fresh stable, Sovereign!" Esrelda Snape proclaimed as she took Sovereigns halter off and shut the stall door, "You'll be safe here!"

Hidie, her Rottweiler barked approvingly and sat guard while Esrelda went to grab her tack.

The light bay Arabian gelding watched his rider go before examining the gate latch, planning for future escapes.

Slipping outside, Esrelda passed a boy who smiled at her, causing her to drop her gaze and blush.

As she hurriedly rushed past, Jason smiled and stroked his glossy russet cat.

"Fourth one that blushed. I'm on a roll Fox!" He chuckled good naturedly.

His cat purred and rubbed up alongside him as Will led Blaze, his handsome black stallion to his stable.

The sun caught the white 'mask' of hair covering half the stallions face, contrasting with his red eyes.

Bailey was being assisted by a new rider who called himself Arthur.

"Thanks for the help Arthur." Bailey panted as they swung the last suitcase on the bike, "I needed it!"

"Happy ta help, Bailey!" Cam an Irish reply.

Bailey gave the lanky boy a slap on the back before giving his Staffordshire bull terrier a pat, just avoiding getting jumped on by the energetic canine.

"I'll go see Patches first, then I'll stop by you again!" Arthur called as Bailey drove off on the bike.

As Sarah and the others walked down, they were astonished at how busy it was.

"Wow, that's a lot of new people." Alma commented as they stopped at the old barn.

Molly coughed and waved a hand to keep away the unsettled dust, "I've never seen Horseland so busy! Even with competitions!"

A large white suitcase tumbled down and landed at the girls' feet and Nani bent down and picked it up as the owner rushed over.

"My apologies!" A blonde haired girl rushed over and took the case, "I'm just a little nervous!" Her voice was a thick English accent.

She stuck out a perfectly manicured hand, "I am Krystal!"

Sarah smiled and was about to shake her hand when a high voice called out, "Your Highness! Your horse needs tending too!"

Krystal gave them an apologetic grin and rushed towards an elaborate horse float parked behind a black Hummer.

"Another princess?" Alma exclaimed.

"She seems nice enough." Sarah shrugged.

"Yeah Alma, remember we can't judge people for what they look like! We've already learned that lesson." Molly pointed out.

Nani was already jogging towards the barn, "C'mon girls, let's see if we can help!"

The group jogged into the barn and saw Will unloading tack in the tack room near the rear of the barn.

"Hey girls!" He puffed as he heaved a heavy dark green Western saddle onto a support, above a pale pink Classic English saddle.

"Need a hand Will?" Sarah offered.

Will nodded and stepped back," Gladly. I've been lifting heavy saddles, boxes and other things ever since the first people started arriving." He wiped his forehead with his hand.

Outside the tack room, the vehicles and their floats were driving off, having unloaded their cargo of riders and horses.

The late morning sun glinted of numerous cars as they drove away along the windy rural road.

It was an hour past lunchtime when Will gathered all the new riders in the improved mess hall.

Sarah, Alma, Nani, Molly and Bailey all squeezed together on a bench, laughing and talking with their old friends and sharing stories of the times back at the old Horseland.

Will walked into the room and silence descended as he stopped and waited at the front of the room.

When he was certain all attention was on him, he started the introductions.

"G'day all you new and old Horseland Members! Names Will and I'm your Head Instructor! In fact, I'm your only instructor. Now I'm sure that everyone in this room is extremely talented with their horses but remember, Horseland is a place of fun and safety. No bullying or put downs and no fighting! If I see any pair fighting, they'll be on toilet duty for humans, horses and others."

His stern expression was unwavering as he swept his gaze around the room, challenging all eyes.

When he had finished his sweep, he smiled and clapped his gloved hands together.

"Now, I'm sure you lot know the rest of the rules here on behavior, manners and whatnot so I won't bore you with that old stuff. Before we all introduce ourselves, I'll just give out a few directions. The dorms aren't split but you will all be given a room which you will bunk in, along with three other people max. Guys, not allowed in the girls rooms and same goes for girls. Toilets are through the door over there next to the horse painting."

He pointed towards a door that said W.C, "And the showers and bathrooms are down the other end of the dormitories. Girls on one side, guys on another. No peeping Toms or Sues or you'll be kicked out. Clear?"

The sea of heads nodded.

Will smiled and continued, "Great! Now, everyone gather into a circle around me, please."

As the riders formed a wobbly circle they cast uneasy glances at their neighbors, looking uncertainly at each other.

Will clapped his hands for attention before continuing, "Right. Now, I'd like each person to introduce themselves. Tell us your name, your horse and a few things about you," Will cast a glance at the amount of pets near their owners, "And your pets. Sarah, could you start?"

Sarah nodded and stood up, tossing her hair over her shoulder she stood with her shoulders back and a warm smile on her face.

"Sure thing, Will. Hey guys! I'm Sarah Whitney, but just call me Sarah, please. My special horse is Scarlet. She's a gorgeous black Arabian with red streaks in her mane. She's got a special place in my heart. I'm really passionate about riding and animals so I hope we can all be friends!" Sarah smiled and sat down.

Bailey was next, "Hey guys. I'm Bailey Handler. My folks own this ranch and my horse is Aztec. He's the Kiger stallion with blue highlights. He's a bit of a grump but he's cool."

The boy who helped Bailey earlier in the day now stood up, after a moment looking around sheepishly, "Hi guys! I'm Arthur. I'm your run-of-the-mill Irishman...or boy, whatever you can classify me as…though I reckon I'm somewhere in-between. You know, being a 17 year old."

He shrugged, "But hey! My horse is that lively old nag with the black and white patch coat. He's great, honestly. Patches is my special wee horsey." His overdone Irish at the end caused a few giggles and he smiled broadly.

"Oh! And this little thing down at my feet is Basil. Staffordshire terrier. Very yappy and VERY bouncy."

Arthur sat down and the boy next to him stood up slowly, blowing sandy yellow hair out of his face.

"Hey." His single sentence had all the girls attention.

"'Name's Jason Treverson and this," He paused and stroked his fox-red cat at his feet, "Is Fox. He's my little buddy. My big buddy is Blaze. Big black Arabian, has half of his face covered in white," Jason slowly circled half of his face with a finger, "He's kinda bossy, so just a heads up."

Jason sat back down as the girl next to him stood up, speaking proudly in her English accent.

She had light blonde hair dyed with pink streaks and wore light-colored clothes. "Hello fellow friends! I am Krystal. I am a keen rider like all of you here and I am fluent in many languages! I'm from a royal family in England and I came here to be a normal girl. My horse is Black Diamond but we just call her Diamond. She can only understand French commands though, I am trying to teach her English but she is reluctant."

Krystal looked worried for a moment before perking up, "Oh! And this is my dog, Estella. She is a Tamaskan dog, not wolf so do not be scared!"

Estella barked as her owner giggled and sat down, stroking her pet.

Amelia stood up, pulling a few stray strands of blonde hair out of her mouth, pulling a face as they slid out.

"Ew, uh. Hi. I'm Amelia. This is my dog Rosie. She's an Australian Collie." She stroked the fluffy dog that sat at her feet.

The dog had a pink bandana around her neck, the only thing giving an indication of where the neck was, "And my horse is Fleur. She's an Arabian mare with the split coat. The vets I've taken her too say it's a genetic defect but she's really sweet most times, but she can be a little temperamental..."

Amelia's voice trailed off and she stood their awkwardly.

"But yeah, she's nice and all." She awkwardly finished before taking a seat and trying to hide her face with her hair.

Esrelda fiddled with her black and pink hoodie before standing up and shifting from foot to foot.

"Um, hi. I'm Esrelda Snape. This is my Rottweiler Hidie and my horse is Sovereign, the light bay Arabian. He's a Gelding, just so you know..."

Her short sentences showed her discomfort for being in the spotlight and she was clearly glad to sit down and lose the attention.

The last new rider before Alma, Nani and Molly was a lean, athletic girl with a pixie crop in a baggy red hoodie and grey baggy jeans.

"Hey guys, I'm Fly." she spoke with a casual tone, flicking her dirty-blonde fringe to one side.

"This is Scribble. My favorite Border Collie ever. My horse is Wildfire. She's the chestnut with white patches, the one with the horseshoe-shaped patch on one shoulder. She's an outdoors horse. Doesn't like being cooped up in a stable. Me and her like to take risks a lot, so don't bother trying to stop us. You'll just get hurt."

She gave a cocky grin and flicked her hair once again before sitting down, letting Alma and the others carry on.

Once everyone was done, Will handed out the schedules to each member.

Sarah, Alma, Molly and Nani headed off to their dorm since there was no laundry that needed doing.

Esrelda, Jason, Krystal and Fly were on cleaning but since it was the first day, they were given a break.

Fly and Arthur were paired with Zoey and Chloe, but since Will had ordered takeaways for the first night, they didn't need to do anything.

So in the end, everyone just hung around, unpacking, finding their way around and just doing their own thing, waiting for the day to be over.

"How about a trail ride first thing tomorrow morning?" Will asked as the night drew near and the bored riders went to their dorms as the curfew drew near.

A nervous and unenthusiastic mumble of 'Yeah's' and 'Sure' came from the sleepy adolescents as they slipped off to bed.

Will just shook his head and sighed as the last one disappeared.

Esrelda was busy brushing her teeth after scoffing down a two hamburgers for dinner and a two whole packets of fries as Fly rolled around in her bed, grinding her teeth in frustration as Jason and Arthur rocked next door, loud music making the walls shake.

Krystal stayed silent, reading her book with a lamp she had brought with her and Amelia tapped away on her phone, updating statuses and replying to her parents' worried texts.

Zoey and Chloe were discussing with one another about what they thought of each new rider and Sarah, Alma, Molly and Nani were all catching up with one another.

Bailey was snug asleep in his own bed in his own private room and Will was looking over the amount of paperwork that came with being a Professional Equestrian Trainer.

The quiet night gave no warning for the chaotic day that was too come.

* * *

**Fly, Lucyella, Arthur- Goggled-Eyed Pegasus  
Amelia, Jason, Krystal - Instrumental Wolf**  
**Esrelda Snape - Esrelda Snape**  
**Zoey, Chloe, Sarah, Will, Bailey, Molly, Alma, Nani - Horseland**

**Want an OC of yours in this story? Adition your OC be sending details to  
hillstosky **


	2. Chapter 2: Settling in Demands

Chapter Two: Settling in Demands  
-

The 'Early Morning Trail Ride' that Will had promised, turned out to be a 'Mid-Afternoon Paddock Gallop'.

Multiple factors contributed to this occurrence, but there was a little collection of happenings that were deemed to have the biggest influence.

The first one being...breakfast.

Arthur groaned sleepily and forced his tired eyes open as there was a hard knock on his dorm door.

Glancing down at Jason, who was still asleep or pretending to be, he hopped out of bed and tiptoed across the cold floor, grateful for the carpeting.

He opened the door slightly, peering through the gap.

On the other side were the dark brown eyes of Felicity, better known as 'Fly', looking back at him.

"What?" He mumbled sleepily, "It's only..," He paused and looked back at the digital clock on his bedside table, "seven." he finished.

Fly shoved the door open and Arthur stumbled backwards, wrapping his arms around his naked chest in embarrassment.

He was only wearing his lucky clover boxers.

"Hey!"

Fly was standing there in her baggy jeans and red hoodie, eyeing him up like a piece of meat and he squirmed uncomfortably.

"We're on breakfast. Cooking to be exact. Come on. We need to get the Stiltons up." She explained quickly.

Arthur relaxed and let out a breath, "Oh, okay. I'll meet you at their door as soon as I get some clothes on."

Fly nodded and walked down the hall as Arthur slipped on an emerald thermal and white shirt.

He pulled up and buckled his black jeans and tucked his gloves in his waistband.

Smoothing his hair back with one hand, he walked over to where Fly was thumping on the Stiltons door.

"Hey, keep it down, Fly. The others will still be sleeping." Arthur hissed.

Fly gave the door one last extra-hard thump before standing back and glaring at the piece of wood, "Ugh, they aren't waking up."

"Why don't you go in?"

Fly tried the handle, "Locked. Stupid bitches."

Arthur's eyes widened at the use of language, "Hey. Calm down."

Fly turned and glared at him before the door next the Stiltons opened and a sleepy looking Sarah peeked out into the hallway, "Oh, hey guys. What are you doing up so early?"

Fly tried to stifle a laugh at Sarah's bed-hair. Super frizzy, it stuck up all over the place.

Arthur simply snorted, "Nice hair, Sarah. You trying to replicate an explosion at a hair salon?" He snickered.

Sarah touched her hair gingerly before managing a tired smile, "Heh, yeah. I know, it's terrible. Are you two trying to get Zoey and Chloe up?"

Arthur nodded his huge grin still in place.

Sarah covered her mouth as a laugh escaped, "Oops. Heh, good luck with that. Those two won't ever get up this early to do breakfast. You're better off doing it between you two."

Fly scowled, "Those lazy twins. I'll make sure they get the least amount of breakfast, if not nothing."

Sarah shrugged apologetically, "Sorry, Fly. But it's honestly useless to get those two up at this time."

Fly growled and stormed off towards the farmhouse and Arthur waved goodbye as Sarah went back to bed.

In their private room, Chloe and Zoey gave each other a triumphant look, the smirks on their faces getting wider by the second.

As the riders of Horseland emerged from their beds and dorms, rubbing eyes and stretching sleepily, they all greeted one another as they headed towards the kitchen for breakfast.

Zoey and Chloe shared 'the look' with one another as Jason emerged, dressed in a clean and fashionable white shirt and slightly scuffed jeans, a dark green jacket hung over his shoulder.

His hair hadn't been combed, just hastily straightened with his fingers.

Krystal emerged, her face bright as always and she yawned and stretched, her eyes sparkling with life.

Together, she and Alma walked towards the kitchen, both discussing international horse breeds.

Amelia was out with Esrelda, Molly and Sarah. The three were having a cheerful discussion.

Nani reached the mess hall first and opened the door, sniffing the air for any indication of a burnt breakfast.

When none came she entered and walked up to where the window into the kitchen was.

"Anyone here?" She asked before she flinched as Arthur's flour-covered face popped out from the side.

"I'm here...I think...wait, lemme check." He turned and called out, "Hey Fly! Am I here?"

A voice from somewhere in the kitchen yelled back, "What'd you think? Of course you are!"

Arthur turned back, "Yep. I'm here. Along with Fly who's manning the french toast."

"Which is nearly burning!"

Nina just smiled, "You need a hand? Things seem to smell pretty good!"

Arthur shook his head, "No. We've got everything under control. Here Fly comes now!"

Fly appeared holding a large platter of french toast. She too had flour on her face and hair.

Nani was puzzled, "Why do you guys have flour all over you. You don't even need flour for French Toast."

Fly and Arthur glanced at each other before cracking up over some previous unknown incident.

Nina just watched them curiously before grabbing a plastic plate and nabbing two slices of french toast, spooning syrup over them along with some slices of banana.

She took an experimental bite as the two cooks recovered themselves.

"It's delicious!" She exclaimed.

Arthur grinned and puffed his chest out proudly while Fly looked surprised, "Really?"

Nani nodded and took a larger bite as Sarah and the others joined her, "Really!"

Fly looked relieved, "Oh, thank goodness. This twerp here had me worried I was going to poison everyone!"

Arthur shrugged, 'Can't never doubt it."

That comment received him a sharp jab in the ribs.

As Sarah and the other dished up, each handing out their own praise to the two juvenile cooks, Nani stayed with them, leaning on the wall and eating her breakfast.

A loud hubbub of voices as the mess hall doors swung open again made her frown.

Zoey and Chloe were headed towards the breakfast bar.

Nina frowned, "Hey, aren't those two also on breakfast?"

Fly growled, "Yeah, they were...okay, now I wish this was poisonous."

Arthur slowly pushed Fly to one side before she could explode, "Why don't you get yourself cleaned up. You won't want any more gibes."

Fly opened her mouth to complain but Arthur shut the door on her just as the Stiltons reached the kitchen window.

"Hey Arthur!" Chloe drawled.

"So nice of you too make breakfast without us!" Zoey thanked him sweetly, battering her eyelashes at him.

"I'm sorry we couldn't help." Chloe gave an apologetic shrug.

"It's just we need our beauty sleep." Zoey tossed her hair and smiled at him with a cold glint in her eyes.

Arthur shrugged and dished the two up some french toast, "That's fine. You two will be on clean-up and lunch anyway."

He gave them a genuine smile then scooted them along before they could do anything else.

The walked off, sending evil glares over their shoulders before seating themselves in a prime window seat that the morning sun hit full on.

Fly walked back in with no more flour and shaking the remnants of water from her hands, "Are they gone?"

Nani nodded and handed her a plate loaded with french toast, "Yes. And they're also on clean-up and lunch."

Fly grinned at Nani and Arthur, "Thank God."

Nani motioned towards the table Sarah and the others were sitting at, "Come on. Let's go join the others."

Arthur and Fly grabbed their own breakfast and Nina brought the breakfast leftovers over to the table so they could be finished off.

Molly moved over to give Fly some room, "How'd you sleep, Fly? I slept pretty well!"

Fly nodded, syrup dribbling down her chin, "Me toomf!" She spoke through a mouthful of toast before covering her mouth with her hand.

Her first day and she was already warming up to these new people. Maybe Horseland wasn't so bad after all.

Bailey was chasing a piece of syrup-covered apple around his plate, "I don't understand how you guys could sleep so well." he grumbled.

Amelia looked up from her plate, "What'd you mean?"

Bailey gave up chasing the fruit piece and sat up, "Didn't you hear them?"

Esrelda looked up through her long hair and the whole table had focused their attention on Bailey.

"Hear what?" Fly asked abruptly yet her voice was dipped in curiosity.

"Them. Up in the mountains." Bailey shuddered.

"Oh, hurry up and tell us, Bailey." Jason snorted.

"Wolves. There are wolves up in the mountains!" Bailey exclaimed.

The table was silent before Fly and Jason burst into laughter.

"Wolves? You're scared of wolves?" Fly gasped through each laugh.

"Hey! We've never had wolves 'round Horseland before! They could threaten the horses!" Bailey yelled, clearly annoyed.

Sarah tried to reason with both sides, "Jason, Fly. Stop laughing please. Bailey does have a point. We've had signs of a wolf around Horseland before."

Molly shrugged, "So? That was ages ago and only Alma saw it."

Alma frowned, "And you lot wouldn't believe me until you heard it yourself."

Bailey shivered, "Yeah, well you hadn't been very honest then and that had been only one. This time it sounded like a pack! A big one!"

As the two laughing tried to collect themselves, Amelia chipped in, "Come on guys. Bailey may have a point. Wolves can often scare or injure horses."

Alma added her knowledge to the discussion, "After I ran into the wolf, I read that a lobos jaws can snap a horses leg in half. They'll splinter it!"

Krystal nodded solemnly, "And no vet near here can fix that. The best are overseas and sometimes...sometimes it's just not worth it to have a horse suffer so much just to be handicapped the rest of their lives."

Her quiet voice sobered up the table.

Jason coughed awkwardly, :Well, he said that he heard them up in the mountains so what's to say they won't come down here?"

"Food. Warmth. Shelter. A safe place to raise pups and a close food supply." Alma muttered.

Fly opened her mouth to say something until a crumb went the wrong way and she broke into a coughing fit.

She got up and fetched herself a glass of water, draining it dry in one big gulp.

As she turned to refill it from the water cooler, the mess hall doors swung open once again and Will walked in with four new people.

A short, skinny girl with golden hair and eyes walked in, blowing bubblegum bubbles.

She wore thick black leggings and a green shirt with a black wolf head imprinted on it.

The second to walk in was a boy with green eyes and black hair.

He wore blue jeans, thick brown boots and a camo-green hoodie.

A girl with light-blue eyes and a loose brown braid walked up next to him, smiling warmly at the buildings occupants.

She had a mint-green top that slipped off one shoulder, pristine white jeans and knee-high brown boots with a slight heel-rise.

"Morning Riders! Say hello to your new, late, riders!" Will announced loudly before stepping aside and letting the four new riders in.

There was a scattering of applause before the sound of glass breaking silenced it all.

Fly had dropped her glass and stood frozen, staring at the fourth rider.

Seemingly slender and lightly built, a fair-skinned girl examined the mess hall with snobby disgust. Her copper-blonde hair glittered in the light but her dark brown eyes were cold and demanding.

She wore tartan jodhpurs and a dark-pink, almost orchid, jacket over a snow-white shirt.

Around her neck was a necklace made up of half-moon shaped links. The links were decorated with small gems and other shiny metals.

Her cruel eyes tracked down the source of the noise and her face went from disgusted to surprise as she made eye contact with Fly.

"What are you doing here?!" Fly snarled.

The girl she was addressing quickly composed herself and stuck her nose in the air, "Why should I tell you?" She sneered.

Fly growled and clenched her fists, "Tell, me Lucy!"

Lucy just smiled mockingly, "No." Her face suddenly hardened, "But I know why you're here so I'd advise you keep your manners in check before someone else finds out."

Everyone in the canteen was watching the ordeal in silence and everyone knew Fly was about to explode.

Fly took a step forward, boots crushing glass underneath before Will intervened.

"Girls! Please, calm yourselves down. We won't have any fighting here," Will lectured them sternly.

When they appeared to be ignoring him he continued, "Or you'll be kicked out. For good."

Fly was grinding her teeth but she managed to gather enough of her pride to turn and walk back to the table where the others had been.

'Lucy' simply smiled sweetly before turning and striding over to where the Stilton sisters sat, pleased smiles on their face.

Will ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, "Okay then...now that's over. Everyone, I'd like to introduce Eden..," The girl with the braid waved shyly, "...Lucas..." The boy with black hair grinned and waved, "…Megan..." The blonde with the bubble gum just rolled her eyes and blew another bubble, clearly not interested, "...and Lucyella.." Will indicated towards the blonde who was sitting with the Stiltons.

She smiled, revealing whitened teeth.

Will clapped his hands, "Right, that's it. I want everyone at the stables by ten to groom their horses. And please make everyone feel welcome."

With those final words, Will grabbed himself a piece of french toast and headed out.

When Will left, Sarah and Amelia sat on either side of Fly who was resting her chin on her arms on the table.

"Hey Fly, do you mind asking what that was about?" Amelia asked gently, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Piss off, Amy."

Amelia withdrew her hand quickly, "Fly, what's wrong?"

Sarah leaned over to Fly, "Fly, you can tell us. We're your friends."

Fly mumbled something into her hoodie sleeve and sighed.

"What was that?" Amelia asked softly.

Fly seemed to shrink than sat up, her eyes looking down at her lap, "That's my sister, Lucyella. Ever heard of the Winter Siblings Rivalry?"

Sarah and Amelia shook their heads but Alma chipped in, "Yes. Isn't the most intense rivalry in the Equestrian Riding world? Two sisters who absolutely hate each other that they'd do anything to beat one another?"

Fly nodded, "Exactly. I'm Fly Winter and that thing, she pointed at Lucyella over her shoulder, "Is Lucyella Winter. She'd do anything to beat me."

Sarah and Amelia sat in understanding silence, unable to think of anything they could say to help.  
Alma solved the problem, " Well, just remember, you've got us to count on."

Krystal, who was talking to Eden, looked at the clock, "We better head down. It's half past nine." She informed the table.

The group of four guys laughed at some inside joke, Lucas officially part of the group, and the others nodded and got up.

Nani held to door open for the large group to go through and Sarah dropped back with her.

Megan was the last through; the newly dubbed 'Terrible Trio' were still sitting and gossiping loudly, sending sly glances at the retreating group.

"Hey Megan." Sarah waved at the last girl through.

Megan froze and glanced warily at Sarah, "...hey." She replied shyly.

Sarah jogged up next to Megan, "Wanna walk with me and Nina?"

Megan glanced at Nani who had walked up on her other side with a smile on her face "I guess."

Sarah laughed, "Don't worry, I don't bite! And neither does Nani."

Nani grinned, "I don't think humans taste very nice."

Megan laughed, "Good to know, Nani!" She smiled wolfishly, golden eyes glinting in the sunlight, "Because I might."

The three laughed as they walked down to the stables.

* * *

Even though the horses had had a fun night getting to know one another, they hadn't slept well and were wide awake by the time the sun poked its fingertips under the barn door and through the cracks in the walls.

They shifted restlessly in the new stable extension, rustling the straw and bumping into walls as they sensed an unwelcome presence in Horseland.

Their restlessness caused a tired Collie to raise his head out from the warm straw he had been sleeping in.

Shep listened for a while as the horses moved about in their stables before he slowly eased himself up, allowing a long stretch for his sore, old bones.

He was careful not to wake Rosie, the charming Australian Sheep Dog he had watched come in with Fleur, the double-colored horse.

She had seemed nice enough but he hadn't had a proper chat with her because he was too busy laying out ground rules to all the other pet arrivals.

Slowly sliding past her, he nearly stepped on Scribble, the surprisingly intelligent Border Collie.

But Shep knew his way around Horseland better than any of the others and he hopped down from the haystack he had been sleeping on and went to see what the horses were up too.

Rounding the corner into the new stable extension, he stopped outside the familiar stable door, decorated with a red wooden crown.

"Scarlet?" He called out softly.

A black Arabian mare poked her head out the stable door, her red-streaked mane falling out.  
She seemed tired, "Yes Shep?" She asked wearily.

Shep frowned and sat down, "What's wrong with you lot? You're all restless and I doubt it's from excitement."

Scarlet hung her head low, "I don't know Shep. Something's out there and its making us all uneasy. We could hear wolves howling in the mountains last night. It kept is awake." Scarlet admitted.

"There, there my pretty little Arabian. There aren't any wolves here, except maybe that Tamaskan." Blaze had stuck his head out and was holding it up high.

His white 'Phantom of the Opera' mask on the left side of his face made him easily distinguishable in the blurred morning shadows of the stalls.

Sovereign, the light-bay Arabian gelding also stuck his head out, "Don't worry Scarlet," he assured, "We'll protect you from any wolves that might lurk about."

Button and Calypso stuck their heads out, "I've never seen a wolf before." Calypso said, "But Button has."

Button flattened her ears and ducked back inside her stall.

Patches stuck his messy head out, "What did it look like?" He asked eagerly.

Button stuck her nose out, seeming to check if there were any wolves in the stable.

All the horses now had their heads out and were listening.

"When did you see the wolf?" Sunburst asked puzzled.

"Awhile before you arrived, Sunburst." Scarlet replied.

Chili snorted and tossed his head, "Please. You lot are just still believing Alma and Buttons' lies. That was ages ago."

Pepper nodded, "Besides. Those 'howls' could have just been the wind. You guys are just wimps."

Sunburst grew impatient, "Those were definitely wolves we heard, Pepper. You're just too scared to accept it."

Pepper recoiled, "Me!? Scared of mangy mutts!" She bared her teeth, "NEVER! I'll fight any wolf I see!"

Blaze chuckled, "I don't doubt you, Pepper."

Fleur had been listening quietly.

"Guys, look, the wolves aren't here and we're safe in our stables. So please stop arguing." She asked wearily.

Her quiet voice did nothing and the horses continued to argue.

"HEY!" Jimber yelled, slamming his rear hooves into the back wall of his stall, "Listen to the pretty lady!"

The sudden outburst stopped all noise and the horses reluctantly went back inside their stalls.

Shep turned around as he smelt Angora and Teeny round the corner behind him.

"Morning Angora, Morning Teeny." He greeted his fellow animal friends.

"Hi Shep!" Teeny babbled as she bounced around.

"What on Earth was all that noise?" Angora asked, sitting down and preening herself.

"Oh some of the horses are just nervous after those howls last night." Shep explained.

"Howls? As in, wolf howls?" Another voice asked.

Shep looked up to see Rosie, Scribble and Estella round the corner.

"Morning you three. And yes, apparently there were wolves howling last night." Shep greeted the trio.

Estella nodded, "Oui, I heard zee wolvez howling late last night. Zhey are big pack, high up in zee mountainz. Zhey were sharing knowledge. I could not decipher zheir language. Zhey spoke too fast."

Shep frowned, "My ears have heard their decent share of wolf-speak but they're getting old."

Rosie and Scribble looked surprised, "Wolves have their own language?" Scribble asked.

Shep nodded, "Yes, they do. They can speak our language well but have their own secret language through howling. It's how they communicate over long distances."

The Tamaskan looked doubtful, "But eet iz an ancient language and most packs use zee more modern language zat all animals can understand." Her eyes narrowed, "Zey are planning zomething zey do not vant us to know about."

Angora rolled her eyes, "Well there isn't anything we can do so let's just leave it."

Shep nodded sadly," Unfortunately, Angora is correct. There is nothing we can do."

Estella opened her mouth to say something but the sound of gravel crunching stopped her.

The group of pets walked around the corner as the barn doors opened and the early morning light spilled over the cobbled floor.

Will walked in with three horses behind him.

"Morning Shep, Angora and Teeny!" He said as he walked by, leading the new horses to their stalls.

A young girl with a braid followed him with her own horse.

"Hello" she greeted them shyly as she walked by. Her German Shepherd looked at them strangely.

The noise had awoken the other pets resting in the warm straw.

"What's going on?" Hidie the Rottweiler barked.

"It appears we have some new guests," Fox yawned as he brushed the straw off his russet coat.

Shep walked up to them, "It appears so."

The barn became a brief hive of activity as tack was loaded off and stored away in the expanded tack room that had replaced Buttons, Calypsos and Jimbers old stables.

Chili's, Peppers, Scarlett's and Aztecs stables had now become the haystack area which had to be expanded due to all the new horses coming in.

Once Will had left with the new riders, Shep and the rest of the animals went to check out the new animals.

While Rosie said hi to the new German Shepherd called Archer, Shep went to visit the new horses.

After a brief interview, he introduced himself as Fawkes; a bay, two white hind socks and a white diamond on his forehead. His mane and tail are black, streaked with pink.

Ghost, who was a light grey with white stockings and white blaze. Her mane was wavy and streaked with mint, like some type of voo-doo smoke.

Tank was a big thoroughbred who claimed to be in the army once. Dark brown coat with a short cropped black mane and tail made him look threatening. The army-green streaks in his mane and tail stood out well in the gloomy light.

The last was a fiery black Arabian mare called Belle. Three white socks on her legs excluding the front right, she had multi-colored eyes; one side sea-green the other ice-blue. She had lime green highlights in her mane and tail.

Introductions had only just finished when the barn doors opened once again and the riders of Horseland came rushing in, smelling of a delicious breakfast.

Rider reunited with pet and horse and the stable was suddenly filled with neighing, barking and shouting.

Arthur left first with his Bull-terrier, Basil, leading the way with excited barks.

Patches obediently followed out, the late morning sun warming his black/white patch coat, from the feathers on his fetlocks to the lopsided white strip running down his nose from in between green eyes.

He stood patiently tied to the fence as Arthur started to brush him down, carefully combing his wavy black, white and green mane and tail.

Jason followed Arthur out, leading his prize horse out to the arena fence before brushing him down.

Sarah, Molly, Nani and Alma all went to their own little part of the fence as they began to brush their horses down.

Krystal and Amelia tied both Fleur and Black Diamond to a fence, letting the pale coated horses enjoy the sunshine.

Fleur tried to converse with Diamond but the white Arabian looked her blankly, flicking her black tails in an apology.

"I see where your horse got her name from." Amelia giggled, pointing at the black diamond on Diamonds forehead.

Krystal nodded, "Yes, that is one reason!"

Both girls then started to groom their horses, who nickered happily, pleased with the combination of grooming and warm sunshine.

As the Stiltons walked past with Chili and Pepper and their new addition; Lucyella and Fawkes; Will called out, "Okay guys! Get your horses groomed up and we'll put them out in the paddock while we deal with the barn chores! Those riders who are new, you need to make your stable symbols. Choose a symbol that represents who you are and then paint it on the Stable door! It'll help everyone remember whose stable is whose! Come see me when you're ready to start!"

Eden grinned as she rubbed Ghosts neck, "Sounds like fun!"

Lucas nodded and turned away to tend to Tank while Esrelda asked, "What is your symbol going to be?"  
Eden considered for a moment, turning back to Ghost for inspiration, "I'm not sure."

Megan, who was on the other side of Ghost, called out, "Mine's a wolf! Wolves are strong, powerful and fierce, just like me! You don't mess with a wolf."

Eden grinned, "Nice one, Megan."

Jason was currying Blaze down, "Yo, Megan. I doubt you'd manage to fight a whole wolf on the stable door."

Megan turned and snarled at Jason, "Just try me."

She bared her long nails and frightened Sovereign.

Sovereign shied and tried to pull his halter off the fence while Wills rushed over to help Esrelda calm him down.

Once Sovereign was calm, Will turned to Megan, 'Megan. Remember we don't want any sudden, threatening moves around horses. Some might be able to handle it but there are some that can't."

Megan just scoffed but muttered an apology to Esrelda and Sovereign.

Will continued, "And Jason's right. Your symbol is going to be used a lot. Try something a bit more easier than a whole wolf. Why not a head? Like your shirt."

Megan sighed and turned back to brushing Belle who stomped and whinnied.

"You alright Sovereign?" Ghost asked softly.

Sovereign nodded, "Yeah, yeah. She just startled me." He hung his head.

Tank looked down at Sovereign, "Cheer up. That human looks nasty. You just gotta be tough like me. You wouldn't last one minute in the army like that."

Belle overheard Tank and she turned her head towards him, "Don't talk about my rider like that!" She snorted, flattening her ears.

"Horses like you are to address me as 'Sir'." Tank replied, his demeanor cool and calm.

Belle lunged at him with bared teeth and flattened ears, right overtop of Sovereign and Ghost but her halter stopped her going anywhere.

Megan stepped back to avoid getting hit, "Belle! Hey, don't do that! Settle down, girl! Settle down!"

Belle grudgingly obeyed her owner, ears flat as she glared at Tank, who stared impassively back.

Ghost was still shocked at what had happened and Sovereign had lowered his head, trying to ignore everything.

"Yikes! These guys are lively this morning." Bailey commented to Will as he led Aztec to the green paddock.

Will nodded, watching as Lucas tried to lead Tank away without provoking Belle again, who was being watched sternly by Megan, a tight grip on the reins.

Esrelda was soothing Sovereign and Eden was quickly finishing brushing Ghost, eager to get out of the two fighters way.

Eventually, all the horses were released into the paddock and the riders felt their hearts swell as the horses galloped through the long grass: they raced, jumped, kicked and reared, clearly enjoying the wide space.

"Aren't they beautiful?" Krystal sighed as she watched Diamond fly around the paddock with her mane and tail flowing out behind her.

Ghost was racing Caylpso and as she rolled back to stop, her mane rushed around her like waves.  
"You go, Ghost!" Eden yelled

As Wildfire; Flys' lively light-chestnut mount; raced past, Calypso reared and whinnied before bolting off after her with Scarlet and Fleur on her tail.

Diamond simply flopped down and rolled around in the grass, her legs flailing in the air and snorting in delight.

"Ugh, what is she doing?" Pepper snorted.

"Wrecking that lovely coat of hers." Chili sneered.

Fawkes nodded and shook himself, "Ugh, outdoors. How can she even stand doing that in a paddock, let alone at all. It's disgusting."

Chili nodded, "I agree. Its rude to have your rider brush and groom your coat to then just get it dirty and untidy again by rolling around."

Pepper sniffed, lifting her nose high in the air, "Humph. Some horses have no manners or dignity."

Lucas frowned, "I hope Tank doesn't get into much trouble. He can be a bit bossy sometimes."

Megan was standing next to Lucas and she simply scoffed, "Puh-lease. Belle will put him in his place."

Eden looked worried, "Guys, I know your horses might not to be keen with one another but can't you two get along instead? I really don't think having a couple of horses fighting would be too good."

Megan simply looked away, blowing another bubble and popping it but Lucas nodded, his cheeks tinged slightly red.

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry Eden."

Eden smiled sweetly, "It's nothing."

Will was over by the barn door holding buckets of paint, "Hey! Newbies! Hurry up and come over so you can get started!"

Leaving Sarah, Alma, Molly, Bailey and Nani at the fence, the rest walked over to where Will was standing.

"Right, you lot know the ropes. Pick a paint color, one that suits you. If the color isn't there, mix it yourself but be generous with the paint. There isn't much." Will handed out paintbrushes, "When you've chosen your color, paint the emblem on your stable door so we won't have any mix ups. Everyone understand?"

All the heads nodded and grabbed a bucket of paint each.

"Zoey, Chloe, where are you two going?" Will asked the two as they grabbed a paint bucket along with Lucyella.

"Umm...to go paint our stable doors?" Zoey tried.

Will put his hands on his hips, "Nice try but you two are on breakfast clean up. And then you're on lunch. I'm sure Lucy will do fine on her own."

Zoey and Chloe pouted but dropped the paint and brushes before stalking off to the house.

"Sarah! Can you feed the rest of the animals? I haven't had time yet." Will called out.

Sarah gave him the thumbs up to show she'd heard before gathering the group and heading off towards the feed shed.

"Are they gone?" Sovereign asked as he watched the humans walk off.

"Yeah, I think so." Patches replied, his face bearing a smile of mischief.

"Shall we do this then?" Blaze asked, a smile creeping up on his face.

"Definitely." Sovereign neighed.

Ghost walked over with Wildfire and Diamond," What are you three planning?" She asked suspiciously.

Patches smiled sheepishly, "Nothin'"

Wildfire snorted, "Yeah right!"

Blaze pushed past Patches and faced the three mares, smiling, "Please excuse us ladies."

With that he turned around and bolted for the fence, leaping over it with practiced ease.

Sovereign and Patches followed suite and soon all three horses were galloping around in the paddock at the edge of the woods.

They raced each other to the end and back while the remaining horses settled down in their paddock, enjoying the sun, the breeze and the grass.

Inside the barn the riders were busy painting on their symbols.

Krystal had taken the white paint and was painting an elegant white lily on Diamonds stall door.

Arthur and Lucas were sharing the green paint, though Arthur had taken some of the blue paint to create the emerald green he was looking for.

As Arthur added some fine details to his green flower, Lucas was using the arrow template to paint on his army-green arrow.

Once he had gotten the outline done, he handed it to the impatient Lucy who had been huffing behind him.

She snapped it up and strode off to where she had made her dark pink, or 'orchid' as she liked to call it, paint.

Megan had taken the blue and yellow paint to create her own green, used for the wolf head she had expertly sketched out within seconds.

Amy was running back and forth between Krystal and Esrelda, who had the black and pink paint for her skull and crossbones, to paint her Ying-Yang symbol.

Fly and Jason had given up arguing over who was a copycat as the painted a streak of fire on both their doors.

The spat had been settled by Amy, who had pointed out that the streaks of flame were different in size and shape and even color.

It had put the row to rest but the pair still glared at one another as they shared the red paint.

"Red and green doesn't go together, you idiot." Fly hissed as her and Jason reached the paint bucket at the same time again.

"That's what you think. It can symbolize something, you thickhead."

The whispered insult continued, loud enough for Will to hear but he let it slide.

He turned his attention to Eden, who was eagerly painting a mint swirl on her stable door with the combination of white and green paint she'd gathered.

"Looks like everything is working out okay." Will said to himself, patting Shep who was sitting next to him.

Krystal stood up, stretching her back as she finished her lotus, "Done!"

Estella barked happily and walked over.

"Hey girl!" Krystal cooed as her dog trotted over.

She sat down and hugged the Tamaskan, who licked her face.

Estella wasn't looking at where she was going and she accidentally placed her paw in the white paint.

She backed up immediately, leaving a trail of white paw prints along the ground.

Krystal laughed, "Silly Estella!" Then her mind clicked and she called Estella over to her stable door with its newly painted lily.

"Here girl!" She called and Estella walked over, curious.

Krystal then gently lifted her dogs paw up before placing it on the stable door. It left a white paw print behind.

"Woah! Cool idea, Krystal!" Amelia bent down and studied the painting, "I love your lily!"

Krystal beamed, "Thank you Amelia! The lily is supposed to represent elegance and poise but I think it is for inner beauty. Have you ever looked inside a lily? It is beautiful!"

Amy grinned, "I'm gonna take your word for it!"

Will glanced at his watch, 'Finish it up quickly guys. Once you're done, you can go to a late lunch and then you need to polish your tack. I don't think we can get any riding in today."

There was an audible groan as the riders finished painting their doors.

"Cool wolf, Megan." Lucas commented as he walked past with the bucket of green paint.

"Thanks." Came the sharp reply.

Eventually, everyone finished. Megan was the last to leave. It was two hours past lunch when she finally finished the wolf head.

"Not bad, Megan." Will praised, "But try to either be quicker next time or choose something easier."  
Megan nodded as she stored the paint away, "Fine."

Zoey and Chloe had been lazy and simply made a 'Sandwhich bar' with five different choices: ham, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, cucumber and chicken.

Everyone got to choose their own combinations, trying to ignore the twins complaining about the amount of work they had to do.

"Just look at my nails! Slicing the cheese has ruined them!"

"Eeew, my hands are all slimy from cutting up the tomatoes!"

Yeah well my hands are gross after touching all that ham. They're all icky!"

"I'm not sure I want to eat this if they've made it." Molly glanced down at her food uneasily.

Sarah shrugged as she made her sandwich, "There's not much we can do."

Molly sighed but took a bite anyway.

* * *

It was nearly midnight when Shep awoke.

The horses were safe in their stalls, brushed down and clean.

The barn was quiet, the only noise was the summer nightlife. But there was a niggly feeling in his gut.

His canine eyes scoured the dark shed, "Something's not right here…" He muttered.

"So you feel it too?"

Shep turned to find Rosie awake, her brown eyes twinkling in the little light that was available.

Shep nodded.

"Zen vhy don't we investigate?" The accented voice issued from behind him.

Estella was awake.

"I bet it's the wolves." Hidie whispered. The studs on her pink collar gleamed dully.

Shep paused to think, the silence allowing him to hear what had woken him.

A low howl, nearly indistinguishable and super quiet, floated through the barn.

"You hear that?" He hissed.

"Hear what?" Rosie asked.

"The howls." Angora leapt down from the rafters, "The wolves are out there."

The group was silent again and the howl came again.

Hackles bristled and the remaining dogs woke up.

"What's going on?" Scribble asked as Estella started growling.

Fox, stirred by Estella, hissed in annoyance," What are you all growling about?"

"Those darn wolves." Angora answered dismissively.

Fox yawned but joined the group.

Basil shook himself, shaking straw off his blunt muzzle, "So whatta we gonna do?"

"Ve go talk to zhem. Zat is vhat zhey are asking." Estella answered.

"Asking?" Scribble queried, "So you are saying this howling is actually them asking us to come talk to them? How interesting..."

Teeny had woken up and the howl sent her scampering over to Shep.

"Ooooh, Shep. Why are they howling? Why are the wolves howling? I'm scared, Shep."

"There, there Teeny. You're safe in here." Shep comforted the little pig.

Rosie stood up, "Shall we go?"

Scribble nodded, "I believe we should. This may be a trap but we are strong enough to fight our way out. Besides, the wolves wish to alk. It would be stupid and rude to turn them down."

Estella stood up, "I believe zis is stupid. Wolves are dangerous but to turn them down is to invite trouble. Zhey may be killers, but atleast zhey have manners."

Shep stood up, "Right. Angora, Fox, Archer and Hidie. Stay in the barn. The wolves may try to attack while we are gone. If they do, howl or yowl. Just try to wake the horses up. They'll help you."

The two cats and two dogs nodded.

"I'll be on guard." Hidie growled.

Archer yawned sleepily, "And I'll stay right here in this comfy straw."

Shep nodded before trotting to the barn door.

With a quick flick, he unbarred the wooden door with his nose, "Estella, Scribble, Rosie and Basil. You're with me. Estella, can you send the wolves a message that we are coming?"

Estella nodded and slipped outside, pausing to remember what to say before she arched her back and howled long and loud.

"OwwwwoooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooOOOoooo..."

The howl rang loud and long out over the paddocks and too the distant forest.

Rosie walked up to Estella, "That was beautiful Estella!"

Estella dipped her head modestly,"Zhank you, Rosie. Zee howling language iz quite beautiful, if not hard to master."

Scribble paced up alongside them while Basil helped Shep shut the barn door, "How did you learn it?"

"My parents taught me when I waz leettle. It vas only a bit before I vas given to Krystal but I learned zee rest from another Tamaskan I often met. He taught me vell."

Another howl, louder and stronger rang out and silenced th nightlife. Estella listened intensely before translating, "Zey are-"

"At the north forest edge." Shep finished for her.

Estella looked at him surprisingly, "How did you-?"

"An old sheep dog like me picks up some wolf-speak from living out here. I've traded words with wolves before."

Estella looked surprised but nodded.

Shep started running towards the forest edge, "Come on! Let's go meet these wolves."

The rest of the canines followed suite, Basil jogging up next to Scribble, "Mind telling me what we are doing?"

Scribble just sighed, "Alright..."

The group arrived at forest edge quite quickly.

Estella stopped five metres from the shifting, shadowy forest border.

The white light from the waning moon and the dark shadows made the forest appear surreal, like it was made of silver and obsidian.

"The night has always held a certain charm." Shep mused as he caught up with Estella.

Rosie stopped with her golden fur turning silver in the moonlight, looking around warily, "Where are the wolves?"

Scribble and Basil were the last to arrive, Scribble slightly out of breath from recounting everything to Basil.

Basil headed towards the edge of the woods, "Well? Where are they?"

Before Shep could tell him to get back, intense golden eyes opened directly infront of Basil.

"Where is whom?" A gleeful growl echoed through the empty woods as a large grey wolf slid out of the shadows.

Basil scuttled backwards, tail between his legs and the other dogs growled, tails high and fur bristling.

The wolf laughed, a cold, dry bark that rattled off the mountains.

"That's right you silly tames. You best be wary of us. We might get your coats dirty." The wolf sneered as more shadows detached from the forest.

More wolves slipped out of their cloaks of shadow noiselessly; green, blue, brown and gold eyes gleaming with cold light.

Estella and Rosie kept their gaze on the wolves as the slowly circled the small group.

The wolves paced slowly in a circle around the group, ducking behind one another on a dizzying moving mix.

Black, brown and grey pelts blended into the tall grass and the two female dogs had to keep all their focus on where each shifting wolf paced.

Scribble and Basil kept watch on either of Sheps sides while Shep stared ahead, experienced eyes searching for a certain wolf.

His gaze was frozen by two raging red eyes that had appeared metres infront of him.

A shadow swiftly formed a large wolfs head embedded with two ruby red eyes and moonlight-silver scars running from the ends of the creatures mouth to the base of his ears giving the appearance of a twisted and unnatural smile.

The huge black Alpha stepped out of his shadowy camouflage as silent as the thick summer night.

"Laughing Jack." Shep growled up at the wolf who glared down at him.

A deep husky laugh slipped out as Laughing Jack opened his muzzle, revealing off-white teeth.

"Ah...Shep... Horselands faithful guardian. Where have the years gone, my friend?" Laugh Jack seated himself in front of Shep like an old friend.

"I'd ask you the same thing. Last time I saw you, you were hightailing it through the mountains after your pack scattered."

Laughing Jack shrugged, "Times go by my friend. I have a new pack now; stronger, faster and bigger."

"Enough of this!" Rosie turned around and faced Laughing Jack, "Why are you here? Wolves aren't welcome around Horseland!"

Laughing Jack regarded Rosie with curiosity, "It seems you have your own little pack, Shep. Where did all these new tames come from?"

"Answer me!" Rosie barked furiously.

Shep growled at her, "Rosie! Calm yourself. That is not the way to deal with wolves!"

"Listen to the Collie, Rosie. It might save your pretty neck with its pink bandanna.," Laughing Jack sighed, "But since you are so insistent, I may as well tell you. My pack and I have started gathering compensation from neighboring farms. A single animal for the lives of many."

Shep looked suspicious, "What do you mean?"

"Easy. You give us one animal to eat now and we refrain from attacking and killing the rest of your farm stock."

Laughing Jacks smile widened maliciously, "And my first suggestion is that delightful plump pig you call 'Teeny'. She will make a lovely snack. And that...thing on her tail will be perfect for my dear Mila."

Shep tensed slightly at the name, barely noticeable.

Estella bared her large fangs at Laughing Jack, "Never! Horseland is ours and you will not harm one cat, dog, horse or pig!"

"Or human!" Basil added.

The circle of wolves snickered, a strange combination of growls, barks and yelps. They obviously thought otherwise.

Laughing Jack simply batted Estella's display aside with one big paw, "Hold your tongue, dopple-ganger... Now Shep, be reasonable. Do you really want to run the risk of losing your beloved humans and horses just for one little pig?"

Shep growled, "Teeny is my friend! Our friend! I will never give her away to be eaten by you!"

Scribble stepped forward; his bristling hackles made him seem larger, "Be gone wolf! Horseland is not yours and we will not allow you to terrorize it."

Laughing Jack scowled but his scars still gave him the appearance he was smiling, "Do not attempt to wriggle out of this one, Shep. I would have my pack slaughter you know," the big wolf examined his claws nonchalantly, "But considering Mila has a soft spot for you... I will give you three days to change your mind. The pig would be preferable but any other edible creature would be fine. Except there would need to be two of it. Except a horse. Get me a horse like last time and Horseland will be wolf-free and wolf-protected for two years."

Shep was horrified at such a deal and he shook his head sadly, "Jack, you must be delusional. A horse? Never. I couldn't pull that off again. And Teeny is staying where she is. Un-Eaten. Go get your cut from some other farm."

Shep looked up with an angry glint in his eyes, "Besides, the last time you said that I still discovered a wolf prowling around here. It nearly ate Alma!"

Laughing Jack narrowed his eyes, "You simply found the scent of an exile. Thrim. He had been deserted after disrespecting Wolf Conduct. It had nothing to do with me."

A howl sounded further up the forest and one by one the circle of wolves diminished into the forest until only Shep and his friends faced Laughing Jack.

Shep, Estella, Scribble, Rosie and Basil stood their ground, watching Laughing Jack defiantly.

Jack shrugged, "Very well, Shep. I will see you in a three days. If I do not see you then, then Horseland will be at my mercy."

As he turned to walk away, his thick silky tail flicked out and stroked under Estellas chin softly and caringly, "Such a shame that a strong Tamaskan like you would choose to side with these tames." Laughing Jack seemed genuinely disappointed.

With that he flowed back into the forest, the shadows engulfing him once again.

Estella was still in shock and shuddered as she finally recovered herself, "Ugh! Did he just do zat?"

Shep wasn't listening; instead he was watching the forest intensely.

"Shep?" Rosie asked softly.

"Sshh."

Rosie followed Sheps' gaze and watched as a large patch of moonlight moved, ever so slightly. Rosie blinked, uncertain if it had been a trick of light.

"Mila..." Shep whispered as two blue eyes opened in the center of the 'moonlight'.

They held each other's gaze before the blue eyes blinked out and the moonlight disappeared.

"Who was that?" Rosie asked.

"An old friend..." Shep replied tiredly. He seemed older and frailer.

"Shall ve head back?" Estella asked, ears flat and still clearly uncomfortable.

Shep nodded; he had suddenly become too tired to do anything else but sleep, "Yes please.'

The group of five head back to the barn, bearing uncertain news but ready to accept the night's sleep

* * *

**People? Hello? Uh..Hi**  
**I'm sorta/still-ish accepting new OCs but I will turn a few down. Remember. Send me details at hillstosky **  
**Also, if you do not have a FF account or dA account (I'm under the same name on there) contact me with your OC there. Please don't fill the comments up with trialing OCs**

**Also shippings/pairings. Got any? Let me know! A bit of romance helps keep things interesting.  
Also, please do not get offended/angry/any other negative feeling if I screw up your characters reactions abit.  
I try but I also do not want any OP characters (and from what I've seen, there are a few)**

**Cheers.**

Also, thanks to InstrumentalWolf for being my beta reader. I needed one ^^

**There are too many OCs for me to list with owners so all Ocs belong to their owners EXCEPT the Horseland Members**


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